Ornamental piping for shoes and the like



Oct. 23, 1962 c. J. MARCHAND 3,059,354

ORNAMENTAL PIPING FOR SHOES AND THE LIKE Filed Dec. 2. 1959 INVENTOR.

CURTIS J. MARCHAND AITORNEY States The present invention relates to a piping or binding for ornamenting articles formed of leather or fabric and more particularly to an ornamental piping or binding for diverse goods such as shoes, gloves, automobile interiors, and the like.

Many different forms of decorative piping and the like have been made from leather, cloth, plastic, and other materials. Perhaps the most common form of piping is to be found in the construction of shoes. In the shoe industry there is used a piping having a zig-Zag edge of the type that results when a pinking shears is employed. Although this form of piping has achieved widespread use, it has lost a considerable amount of its earlier appeal because it is available in single colors only. Other forms of piping or binding have also been used, but none of them have achieved the popularity or commercial success of the type already mentioned. Certain forms of novel piping may be made in plastic which cannot be duplicated in leather. This is because plastic lends itself more readily to molding and extruding processes. However, at least in the shoe industry, plastic piping has not gained any substantial acceptance.

The object of the present invention is to provide a novel and ornamental piping which can be made from leather or from other materials such as cloth or plastic.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel form of piping which can be made in two different colors.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a novel form of piping which can be made in any one of a plurality of different edge for-ms, including diamond, circular, star, rectangular, and clover-leaf shaped edges.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent when reference is had to the following detailed description when considered together with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates a shoe having a preferred form of a decorative piping embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates how the preferred form of piping is made and applied;

FIG. 3 is an enlargement of a piece of the piping of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 shows a second form of piping embodying the present invention;

FIG. 5 shows a third form of piping embodying the present invention;

FIG. 6 shows a fourth form of piping embodying the present invention;

FIG. 7 shows a fifth form of piping embodying the present invention;

FIG. 8 shows a sixth form of piping embodying the present invention;

FIG. 9 illustrates a seventh form of piping constructed according to the present invention;

FIG. 10 shows an eighth form of piping embodying the present invention; and

FIG. 11 shows a ninth form of piping embodying the present invention.

The present invention contemplates the manufacture of a new and ornamental piping according to a method which comprises the steps of (1) providing a stripof flexible material, (2) forming in this strip of material a series of longitudinally spaced cuts which extend laterally 3,059,354 Patented Oct. 23, 1962 and also longitudinally and which commence and terminate along a common longitudinally extending line, and (3) folding the strip along this common longitudinally extending line, whereby to form a folded edge which is 5 characterized by a series of projections whose profiles are identical to the cuts initially formed. in the strip of material. The strip of material may be of a single color, but preferably it will have one color on one side and a different color on the opposite side. As described in detail hereinafter, the shape of the cuts can be varied considerably so as to provide different ornamental effects.

Turning now to FIG. 2, there is shown a strip of flexible stock 1 which is used to make a piping A. Strip 1 is formed by sticking together with a suitable adhesive two separate strips 2 and 4 of flexible material such as leather. Strips 2 and 4 are of identical thickness and width but are of different colors. The laminated strip 1 is provided with a series of longitudinally spaced cuts 6. In this case, the cuts are V-shaped as illustrated. The cuts commence and terminate along a common longitudinally extending line which is indicated by the broken line 8 in FIG. 2. The cuts 6 may be formed in the individual strips 2 and 4 before they are secured together to form the laminated strip 1, but preferably the cuts 6 are formed in the laminated strip 1 by means of a rotary cutter. The former approach is not practicable commercially because of the trouble involved in gluing the two strips together with their cuts in manual registration.

Assuming that the laminated strip 1 has already been provided with cuts 6, the ornamental piping A is made by folding it along the broken line 8 so as to form two parts or halves 10 and 12. When this is done, individual small segments 14 whichare defined by the cuts 6 and the fold line 8 are forced out of the plane of the folded part 10 and project upwardly so as to'lie in the plane of the other part 12 of the folded strip. The invisible fold line 8 becomes the visible fold edge 16 when the strip is folded in two. The small portions 14 project beyond the folded edge 16. It is tobe noted that when'these portions 14 are folded out 'of the plane of the part 10, they each leave a void or opening in that portion which is identical thereto in shape. Consequently, when the strip 1 is fully folded in half and positioned with part 10 exposed to view, the resulting piping A appears to comprise a series of diamond shaped sections 18 which have the color of the laminate 4 and, therefore, contrast with the color of the exposed surface of folded part '10, which is the color of laminate 2. The piping A can be maintained folded by means of a cement or adhesive. However, in its more common applications, the piping A is secured in folded condition by means of stitching.

The stitching may be applied to the piping prior to its application to a shoe or other article, as shown, for example, in FIG. 3 where an unattached section of preformed piping A is retained in folded condition by stitching 20. Alternatively, the stitching for holding the piping in folded condition may be the same stitching used to attach it to a supporting surface,'as shown in FIG. 2 where stitching 22 functions to keep the piping folded and also to secure it to a supporting surface 24. The latter may be part of a leather handbag, or an article of clothing, or a shoe. FIG. 1, for example, shows a shoe S which is provided with'two strips of piping A. One strip is attached to the toe portion of the upper 30, and the other is secured along the top edge of the upper.

As illustrated in FIGS. 4-11, the present invention lends itself to pipings of other. ornamental designs in addition to the diamond design shown in FIGS. l-'-3. In the following description of the pipings shown in FIGS. 4-11, it is to be understood that two-colored stock similar to strip 1 is employed as a starting material.

discrete disk-shaped components of a different color when considered with reference to the piping as a whole. It is contemplated also that in addition to the semicircular cuts 32 it may bepreferred to provide a series of small openings 36 which are located at the center of the radius of curvature of the cuts 32. When this is done, the projections 34 will each have a hole 36 as shown. It is believed to be apparent from an examination of FIG. 4 that the piping may be characterized as having a sealloped edge or as having a series of circular ornamental components or as having an edge with a series of semi circular projections. FIG. illustrates a piping C which comprises a series of star-shaped components 38. These star-shaped components result from a series of cuts 40 which were formed in the original unfolded piping material along apredetermined longitudinally extending line, the cuts 40 corresponding in shape to half of a six-pointed star.

FIG. 6 is similar to FIGS. 4 and S but shows instead a piping D having a series of rectangular constrastingcolored elements 42 which project beyond the folded edge 44 and which are formed as a result of U-shaped cuts 46 formed in the original unfolded strip of flexible material. As with the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, it is possible, if desired, to provide a series of circular holes 48 in the center of the projections. If desired, the openings in the center of the projections may be of some other-convenient shape, as, for example, the diamond-shaped opening 50 also illustrated in FIG. 6.

FIG. 7 illustrates that a piping E may be formed with i a saw-tooth edge generally identified by numeral 54.

The saw-tooth edge. results from the bending of a flexible strip which is provided with a series of saw-tooth shaped cuts 56. Another way to characterize the embodiment of FIG.'? is todescribe it as a piping having a series of triangular-shaped elements which are of different color than the face of the piping itself.

In FIG. 8, the edge of piping F may bedescribed as a scalloped or clover-leaf edge. The basis for this description is the presence of a series of contrasting-colored elements whichflhave the appearance of a four-leaf clover. It is to be understood that this. type of decorative element results from the making of a series of cuts 62 in the stripping which are substantially the same as half of the profile of a four-leaf clover.

In FIG. 9 there is shown a piping G which has two series of diamond-shaped elements 64 and 66 respectively provided on opposite edges thereof. This form of piping is made by providing two rows of V-shaped cuts 68 a and 70 respectively in the original strip of material. Cuts 68 and, 70 point toward the opposite edges of the unfolded strip; and are aligned with each other. The two rows of cuts' set ofi marginalportions 72 and 74. The

piping is formed by bending these marginal portions to ward each other and stitching them in place by means of stitching 76. In this embodiment, the cuts are so located that when the marginal portions of the strip are secured in folded position, the opposite edges 78 and 80 4 that the V-shaped cuts 84 and 86 have been made so as to point toward the center line rather than the edges of the unfolded strip of material. The marginal portions are folded toward each other so as to produce the projections 88 and 90. When this type of piping is applied to an article, its'marginal portion will be hidden; whereas in the embodiment of FIG. 9, when the piping is applied, the marginal portions will be visible. Of course, stitching 92 may be of any desired color.

FIG. 11 relates to a piping I which is formed by making a single row of cuts in a strip of material; but in this case, every other out 94 points to one side of the center line and the remaining cuts (not visible) point to the other side of the center line of the strip. However, all of the cuts are aligned along a common line which becomes the fold edge 98 when the strip is folded in half. Upon folding of the strip, there appears two series of alternately occurring projections 100 and 102 which are of different colors. Projections 100 result from cuts 94 and projections 102 result from the other cuts.

Although the invention has been described on the basis of a laminated strip 1 which comprises two separate layers, each of a diflerent color, glued together, it is to be understood that the strip need not be laminated but may comprise a single layer of material whose opposite sides are colored diflerently. Of course, the two sides of this single layer could be identical in color, if desired; but the greatest advantage of the present invention as a decorative piping is obtained by having the two sides of different colors. Furthermore, each side may have one or-more colors. Thus, for example, one side could be colored one color and the opposite side could have a striped or polka-dot effect.

It is to be understood also that the invention can take the form of other designs in addition to the ones shown. Thus, for example, the cuts made in the strip may be semielliptical or semipolygonal (e.g., semihexagonal) in shape. It is also contemplated that the edges of the starting strip maybe serrated or scalloped instead of straight.

Although leather is the preferred material used to form pipings embodying the present invention, it is to be understood that other flexible materials may also be used, as, for example, cloth, cloth impregnated with plastic, and plastic.

Because of-the many variations in color and design whichare possible with the present invention, it has utility as a piping on many different articles. However, it is particularly appealing to the shoe industry since it provides an inexpensive yet ingenious way of adding color and style to, its products. The concept of folding the preperforated strip as it is being applied to a shoe and of securing the folds together, with the same thread emuse of'exi'sting stitching machines.

ployed to stitch the strip to the shoe, is simple and makes A simple attachment for folding the strip as it is fed beneath the pressure foot of the stitching machine head is all that is required to V utilize an existingshoerstitching machine.

of the strip are spaced from each other as shown. This provides a complex color pattern comprising two rows of diamond elements 64and 66 and a centrally located elongated area 82' allof the same color and contrasting with 'two spaced areas (marginal portions 72 and 74) of another color'which is adorned with a stitching 76 which may have the same color as diamond elements .64 and V .66 or marginal: portions 72 and 74 or still a third color.

FIG. 10 illustrates a bindingor piping H which is substantially the. same. as the binding G in FIG. 9. except Obviously, many modifications and variations of this invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is to be understood, therefore, that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts specifically described and illustrated, and that within the scope of the appended claims, it may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described or illustrated.

J I claim:

1'. An ornamental piping comprising an elongated strip of flexible material having different colors 'on opposite sides thereof, said strip folded into two parts along a longitudinally extending center line, means securing said two parts together in face-to-face relation With each other,

aflrst series of projections spaced along said fold line,

said second projections cut out of the other of said two parts.

2. An ornamental piping as defined by claim 1 further wherein said projections are disposed substantially parallel to said two parts.

3. An ornamental piping as defined by claim 2 wherein said first projections and said second projections are disposed in alternately occurring relation to each other.

4. An ornamental piping comprising an elongated strip of flexible material having one color on one side thereof and another color on the opposite side thereof, said strip folded into three parts along two parallel longitudinally extending lines, means securing the two outer parts to the third center part, a first series of projections spaced along one of said fold lines, said first projections cut out of one of said two parts, and a second series of projections spaced along the other of said fold lines, said second projections cut out of the other of said two parts.

5. An ornamental piping comprising an elongated strip of flexible material having one color on one side thereof and another color on the opposite side thereof, said strip folded into three parts along two parallellongitudinally extending lines, means securing the two outer parts to the third center part, a first series of projections spaced along one of said fold lines, a second series of projections spaced along the other of said fold lines, both series of projections cut out of said third part.

6. An ornamental piping formed of an elongated narrow strip of flat flexible material of the class comprising leather, cloth, and plastic, said strip having one color on one side thereof and another color on the opposite side thereof, said strip folded into two parts along a longitudinally extending line whereby said one color is on the inside of said piping and said other color is on the outside of said piping, said piping having a Series of laterally extending projections along said fold line, each of said projections being integral with one of said parts and cut out of the other of said parts by a slit which commences at one point along said line and terminates at another point along said same line, means connecting and securing said two parts together in face-to-face relation with each projection having one side thereof of the same color as the outside of said piping and an opposite side thereof of the same color as the inside of said piping.

7. An ornamental piping as defined by claim 6 wherein said two parts are secured together by stitching.

8. An ornamental piping as defined by claim 6 wherein said projections are evenly spaced.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 229,309 Emmerich June 29-, 1880 952,642 Robertson Mar. 22, 1910 1,109,561 Williamson Sept. 1, 1914- 1,411,0 22 Heidenreich Mar. 28, 1922 1,742,117 Aaron et a1. Dec. 31, 1929 1,837,775 Howard Dec. 22, 1931 1,969,970 Dunbar Aug. 14, 1934 

